good mornings

Definition

A hip hinge exercise where you bow forward with a barbell on your shoulders, resembling a formal Japanese greeting with added spinal compression. Named optimistically, considering they often make the next morning considerably less good.

Example Usage

The good mornings strengthened his posterior chain while making his lower back question the definition of 'good.'

Origin

Traditional strength training exercise, name origin unclear but likely from the bowing motion

Fun Fact

Despite looking dangerous, good mornings are actually safe when performed correctly—they just have terrible PR from people who perform them incorrectly.

Source: Powerlifting and strength training exercise library

Related Terms

Beginner

Pump

The temporary swelling of muscles during a workout that makes you look significantly more impressive than you do at any other time. Arnold Schwarzenegger compared it to an orgasm, and honestly that tells you everything you need to know about gym culture.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Intermediate

composition

In fitness circles, this refers to the ratio of fat, muscle, bone, and water in your body—basically your body's ingredient list. It's what trainers obsess over instead of just looking at the scale, because apparently weighing 150 pounds of muscle is vastly superior to weighing 150 pounds of anything else. The buzzword that launched a thousand DEXA scans.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

aerobic

Exercise performed while huffing and puffing enough oxygen to keep your cells happy, as opposed to those masochistic anaerobic sprints that leave you gasping like a landed fish. The magic happens when your heart rate elevates but you can still theoretically hold a conversation (though you probably won't want to). Basically, it's the difference between a pleasant jog and running from a bear.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

newbie gains

The miraculous rapid muscle growth and strength increases experienced by beginners in their first 6-12 months of training. Enjoy it while it lasts, because nothing will ever feel this easy again.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Intermediate

momentum

In physics, the product of mass times velocity that explains why things in motion stay in motion—and why stopping a runaway project feels impossible. More colloquially, it's that magical force that makes everyone want to jump on the bandwagon once success starts building. Losing momentum is every athlete's and startup founder's worst nightmare.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

mobility work

Exercises focused on improving joint range of motion and movement quality, typically involving controlled stretches and movement patterns. It's what you should be doing instead of scrolling Instagram between sets.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Translate This Term

See “good mornings” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Beginner

SWOT analysis

A framework examining Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, beloved by consultants who charge thousands to ...